AT&T Announces Its First Two LTE Smartphones

AT&T, together with HTC and Samsung, announced the first LTE smartphones that will be available for the wireless carrier. Starting next week, you'll have the option of picking up the HTC Vivid or the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and surfing the web from AT&T's 4G LTE network (where coverage is available, of course). The official release date for both phones is November 6. In addition to the launch of these phones, AT&T is planning to launch LTE service in Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Athens, Ga. on November 6.

The HTC Vivid will feature a dual core 1.2 GHz processor and a 4.5-inch qHD display. Other key features include 16 GB of on-board memory, an 8-megapixel camera with f2.2 28mm wide angle lens, and 1080p HD video recording capabilities.

Realize the full power of LTE on the HTC Vivid with fast web browsing, powered by a dual core 1.2 GHz processor and a brilliant 4.5-inch qHD display. Music and Android Market apps download and are ready in a snap, or photos and video are a breeze to upload after using the exceptional camera for low-light photos and full widescreen HD video.

HTC Vivid features the acclaimed HTC Sense user experience, which includes a customizable active lockscreen that transforms the display into a real-time window to your most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply waking up the display. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense better than ever and, by continuing to focus on the details, HTC provides a more cinematic and immersive multimedia experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects.

The HTC Vivid will arrive in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online Nov. 6 for $199.99 with a two-year commitment. Customers can learn more at www.att.com/speed.

Samsung Galaxy S™ II Skyrocket™

Lightning fast reflexes powered by a 1.5 GHz dual core processor and AT&T 4G LTE speeds make the Galaxy S II Skyrocket faster for Web browsing and all your favorite apps. A SuperAMOLED Plus display spanning 4.5-inches is the brightest, most colorful screen on the market.

4.5-inch SuperAMOLED Plus display(800x480 pixels)

Android Gingerbread (2.3.5)

1.5 GHz dual-core processor

8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash, with 2-megapixel front-facing camera

1080p HD video recording

16 GB of on-board memory, microSD expandable to an additional 32 GB

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket will arrive in AT&T company-owned retail stores and online Nov. 6 for $249.99 with a two-year commitment. Customers can learn more at www.att.com/speed.

LTE Data Plans

Customers can choose from tiered data plans starting as low as $15 per month. Existing smartphone customers do not have to make changes to their data plan. All plans include access to AT&T’s national Wi-Fi network of more than 29,000 hotspots.

DataPlus provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data for just $15 per month. An additional 200 MB of data usage is $15.

DataPro provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data for $25 per month. An additional 1 GB of data is $10. Customers who want to use their device as a mobile hotspot can sign up for DataPro 4GB for $45 a month, which lets you tether or share your data connection across multiple devices.

Customers can view all smartphone data plans at www.att.com/dataplans.

LTE Deployments

AT&T continues to expand its 4G LTE footprint. The four markets launching Nov. 6 join Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, which were launched in September. AT&T is the only U.S. carrier providing 4G service using both HSPA+ and LTE. HSPA+, when combined with enhanced backhaul, provides customers with 4G speeds, meaning customers get a faster and more consistent 4G experience, even when outside of an AT&T LTE area. Customers of other carriers that have transitioned to 4G LTE without further speed upgrades to their existing networks are likely to see a jarring drop-off in speeds when they move out of LTE coverage.

Quotes

“The two LTE-powered superphones will be our 20th and 21st Android devices in 2011, adding to an outstanding year of Android success,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’ve far exceeded our commitment to offer 12 new Android devices this year –now including our first 4G LTE smartphones. We’re delivering an incredible amount of innovation to our customers, which is a huge reason why more than half our post-paid subscribers are using a smartphone.”

“We are thrilled to continue growing our relationship with AT&T and excited for the HTC Vivid to be one of the first LTE devices on AT&T for the holiday season,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of global sales and marketing, HTC. “The HTC Vivid combines an exceptional display in a premium device that delivers a powerful smartphone to our customers through AT&T’s fast LTE and HSPA+ 4G networks.”